It Doesn’t Pay To Be A Deadbeat Parent

In an ideal world, working out child support arrangements would be smooth and simple. No muss, no fuss, no drama, no big deal, no problem. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work out that way a whole lot of the time.

Take the recent case of rapper Flavor Flav (of Public Enemy fame). He agreed to pay more than $25,000 to the mother of his three children and also reportedly agreed to fork over another $1,200 a month to the mom, Mary Parker of Albany, NY. It was either this or serve a 180-day stretch in the slammer. He owes Parker a total of $111,000 in child support.

According to the U.S Census Bureau, 47.3% of custodial mothers receive all the child support coming to them; 77.5 percent received some. Custodial dads got all the child support they were owed and 74.5% percent got a portion of it.

Then again, there are those parents who elect to attempt to totally dodge their responsibility. Well, you might be able to run, but hiding is a whole different matter. The Feds have launched a website aimed to flush out “deadbeat parents,” who are on the lam from making payments.

During a span of some five years, the site has been used to nab around 500 payment-dodgers, raking in more than $30 million in child support. It should also be noted that anyone who crosses state lines and owes more than $5,000 puts themselves on the federal radar. This is not a good thing.

One bit of positive news is the U.S. Government Accountability Office study that shows child support collections were down for the first time since enforcement departments were launched by Congress in 1975.

To contact Bill Thode, a Denver divorce lawyer, Denver child custody attorney, or family lawyer, visit http://www.thodelaw.com or call (303) 330-0425.